Cloven Hoof
The Definitive Part One

We had already started the journey a long time ago. Tygers of Pan Tang, Tokyo Blade... names that often mean nothing to most, but for some old/young enthusiasts, they are the cause of more than one shiver down the spine. Small, smoky venues, tiny stages barely containing overflowing energy, studs, and old patches dusted off for the occasion, hair no longer as long as it once was but no matter.

Discovering and rediscovering the old glories of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal is always an experience worth "risking" a few extra euros for, maybe for the vinyl of that band you only know by name, but the temporal and geographical origin is a guarantee in itself. That forge of musicians that one day produced the debuting but fierce Iron Maiden and the next day the tenacious Saxon will not return, much to everyone's chagrin. And digging deeper, you eventually find something of theirs too, an EP or maybe some old LP you had almost forgotten: Ladies and Gentlemen, Cloven Hoof. Pioneers of the darkest and most shadowy New Wave, today they are forgotten by most, and even the revival attempts made in recent years have miserably failed. But let's proceed in order.

Founded by bassist Lee Payne in the now distant 1978, their discography comprises a handful of EPs and LPs that have over time become cult objects among the most die-hard and attentive fans. Having learned the lesson from the most evocative Black Sabbath and the most seminal Judas Priest, the usual difficulties led to their inevitable breakup in 1990, but after years of Grunge and Nu Metal, in the early 2000s, there were various attempts to get back on track, never really materialized. The salient characteristics of Cloven Hoof? Musically, they do not stray far from the most classic coordinates of 1980s heavy metal, but everything is reinterpreted with great personality, thanks to a bassist authoring memorable tracks, galloping rhythms always supported by an enviable rhythm section, atmospheres oscillating between horror and science fiction, and a singer perfect for the role, able to switch within the same song from the most theatrical and epic register to a Halford-style screaming. Various attempts to re-establish a stable lineup, especially in recent years, have always lasted very little, with a carousel of formations that make the mid-eighties Black Sabbath look like nothing. The disc in question, the latest released so far over a long distance, is a collection comprising various re-recorded pieces by the lineup of the time, with the addition of the unreleased "Mutilator". Operations of this kind, usually quite debatable when it comes to more established names, are instead manna from heaven when dealing with lesser bands, whose records are hardly found if not out of print, also because in these cases the only ways to recover the old albums are either to bleed out at some record fair or to settle for mp3s and download them without too much moral trouble from some South American blog. And what better way to attempt a comeback than to call back to the microphone that Russ North who made them great in the eighties? A golden voice paired with great charisma and a kitschy soap opera actor image, good old Russ has always been both the cross and delight of the English, as much a thoroughbred frontman as an unreliable flag in the wind, ready to leave the band ten days before a concert only to return as if nothing happened the following week. And speaking of notable returns, once again behind the drums we find Jon Brown, back to reclaim the stool that was already his at the end of the eighties, while on guitar there is newcomer Ben Read, always guided, naturally, by the head honcho Lee "Air" Payne, a tenacious bassist with nothing to envy in terms of imagination and technique to the more renowned names of the genre. "Inquisitor", recovered from the previous "Eye of the Sun" of 2006, opens with a suggestive Gregorian chant and reveals, if there were any need, the debt Cloven Hoof owes to Judas Priest: aggressive guitars, bass deliberately mixed high and pulsating, fast rhythms, and falsetto. "Nova Battlestar" and "Gates of Gehenna", gems from the group's prehistoric past, highlight the more emphatic side of North's singing, a thoroughbred frontman never too appreciated and who deserved much more success, thanks to their driving rhythm and choruses that seem written specifically to be sung at the top of one’s lungs.

It is pointless to analyze track by track, the coordinates on which Cloven Hoof operated, and would still like to operate, are clear, but tracks like "Astral Rider", with its sci-fi atmospheres and introduced by a nice bass riff, or "Mistress of the Forest" should be listened to at least once in a lifetime by any enthusiast not just of heavy music but good music in general. What is the final statement? The usual: great band, great albums, and very little notoriety, although, it must be said, one cannot entirely blame the lack of public curiosity or the "evil" record label of the time. In recent years, Cloven Hoof has repeatedly attempted to re-enter the scene, but frankly always with poor results. Wanting to enjoy the slightest credibility and changing singers something like six times in a couple of years don't quite go hand in hand, considering that it now seems even impossible for them to organize a mini-tour worthy of the name or propose at least a demo to a record label. And at least part of this half disaster must also be attributed to head honcho Lee Payne, who apparently took a few too many years to realize that with some of his (former) collaborators, it wasn't worth spending all this time, with returns and departures of tragicomic timing. In the end, what remains? A great album, certainly, that testifies to what could have been and was not, with the bitter awareness that we will very likely never get to hear a "Definitive part Two". It's a shame because all the cards were there for a success, at least a niche one.

1. Inquisitor

2. Nova Battlestar

3. The Gates of Gehenna

4. Astral Rider

5. Kiss of Evil

6. Mutilator

7. Reach for the Sky

8. Road of Eagles

9. Return of the Passover

10. Laying Down the Law

11. Mistress of the Forest

Russ North - Vocals

Ben Read - Guitars

Lee Payne - Bass, Additional Guitars, Vocals & Keyboards

Jon Brown - Drums

Guest musicians:

Mick Powell Guitars, Keyboards

Dale North - Narration on "Road of Eagles"